A mystery fort and a quick bite in Muteena

An evening errand took me deep into the bowels of Deira this week. I figured that since I had a couple of hours to pass, I might as well take a walk around.

On my way back, I came across this fort tower on Omar bin al Khattab road, sitting between Muteena and Rasheed streets. I had passed this construction once before, many years ago, but at night. A nice little park has been built around it, but I could find no plaque or nav info telling me what exactly it is.

It's a few stories tall, and would have towered over contemporaneous housing, so I guess it would have been used by the local security force to watch for raiders, fires or disorder.

Back when I lived here, I used to love coming to Muteena street for a walk in the park and a snack at one of the many eateries that line the street. The park between the roads is wide enough for a fair bit of landscaping and a winding path for jogging or cycling among the numerous palm trees. It runs the entire length of the street, and sees plenty of footfall. A huge and diverse selection of restaurants also lines the street on either side, including some great Pakistani and Persian places.

And just as I was looking for a quick bite before heading back, I come across this place to stop for a chaat and chai.